Mode of constructing and managing vats fob tanning leather



Uniinn srarns PATENT onrron.

WM. L. J. C. ROUSE vAD S. TAYLOR, `OF BEDFORD COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

MODE OF"CONSTRUCTING `.AND MANAGING VATS FOR TANNING LEATHER.

"Specification of Letters Patent No.- 795, dated June ".20, A1838.`

. i act description thereof.

'Our improvement consists in a particular mode of arranging Aandcombining our vats,

so that the tanning liquor can be more advantageously transferred fromone vat to another, and conveyed into another row of vats whennecessaryffor the purpose of laying away the hides to be tanned. We alsoemploy, in addition to the plan of establishing a communication betweenthe re- Y spective vats, in the way to be described, an apparatus forhandling, or removmg the hides from one vat to another, by means ofwhich this object is effected with great fa-l cility and convenience.

thedrawing herein referred to, l we shown a series of three vats only,in a row, but we are not limited by our plan to any particular number,and consider a series of twelve as best adapted to In have `carry outour plan in a perfect manner; the

principle of construction and proceedure can, however, be fully madeknown by means of three, y

In the accompanying drawing Figure l, is a top view of the vats; aportion of the railway, and its appendages, being removed for thepurpose of exhibiting the tops of the vats without obstructio-n. Fig.

2, is a top view of the railway with carriage thereon, and Fig. 3, anelevation of the vats, with the railway and carriage.

A, B, C, a, b, c, Fig 1 is a series of three vats, which are to bedivided into two compartments each, by partitions crossing them frolnside to side, these partitions being perforated, to allow a freecommunication of liquor from one division of each vat to the other, onebeing intended to contain the bark, andthe other vthe hides or skins tobe tanned, the parts A, B, C, being for the Vreception of the hides, ande, b, c, for the bark.

A communication is established between these vats, by means ofaqueducts, or tubes d, e, near the bottoms of each; these tubes openinto the vats by holes on their upper sides, as seen at d', c', so thatthey can be conveniently closed, or opened, by

means of a plug. There are similarA tubes f, g, about the middle, `ornearer the tops of the vats; L, 71is a similar aqueduct, or tubeconnecting the vats, A, and C, Vfor a purpose to be presently explained.D, E, F, are three laying away vats, Vopposite to the three firstdescribed, `and communicatingr with them near their bottoms. Betweenthese two rows of vats there is a 'long trunk or aqueduct g, g, thetubes jfj, j, 'leading into this from -`the vats A, B, Cf; and the tubesi, 1I, from this into the vats D, E, `F; these tubes terminating in thevatsby holes opening upward.

In the elevation Fig. 8the ends of the vats A, B, C, and some of theconnecting l designated Two of the timber I, about .siX feet above thetops of. the vats, and upon which the carriage runs. J, is one cheek,orside ofthe carriage, and la, le, two of its wheels, which run in agroove, or 'upon a tongue, or edgerail,

upon I; the whole arrangement of which is shown better in Fig. 2; a partof it, also, is shown in Fig. l. Ii, K, are windlasses, by which thecarriage, with its load, may be moved over either of the first series ofvats. L, L, is a windlass on the carriage, and M, M, pulleys, over whichropes may be passed for raising the hides. In vat C, is seen the hideframe m, m, upon which the hides are suspended, by means of ropes, pins,slats, or other analogous eontrivance; it can be readily raised andtransferred to other vats, each of which is supplied with strips, orledges, for supporting the frame, which is well fitted to the hideapartment of each vat. In the compartment c, there is a movablereservoir, or vat, n, n, which fits into this Compartment, and has itssides and bot-V and let the water into C, when it is judged necessary toremove the hides from this iirst 7 into a stronger ooze, let them betransferred to vat B, and lill b, with bark; then open aqueduct g, andlet in fresh water upon c,

Fin 0, with bark, and o, with hides,

which rwill force the strong ooze from C,

into B, fill C, with fresh'hides.`A When the hides in C, and D, requireremoving, transfer the contents of B, into A, and of C, into B, openYthe aqueduct between B, and A,- at CZ, and let fresh water into e, asbefore. It

will be found that, the weaker liquorrbehind will alwayskeep thestronger in advance, in consequence of the peculiar mode in which theAVfluids traverses the vats. When the number of vats are not sufficient totan the hides by passing once through the series, we bring .them back tothe first vat, and give them a` second course inythis case we stop thecommunication between vats C, and B, at g, and remove the ooze and barkfrom C, and put in fresh bark as at first, and then transfer thevcontents of A, to C, of B, to A, and of C,to B, and open thecommunication between vats C, and A, by removingthe plugs vof L, 7L, andputting the ooze taken from @,into B. By a similar mode of proceedingthe operation may be repeated as frequently as may be necessary toperfect the process of tanning.

tops, the liquor flowing through which openings is conducted vdown nearto the bottom of the vat into which it is to flow, a mode of procedurediffering essentially from that above described, which enables us tomake transfers of the (contents "of nefvat lto an- Vother,kwphich cannotbe effected by his arrangement.

What we claim tion, is-

l'. The manner of arranging the aqueducts, or tubes, at or near thelower parts of the"vats, innfcombnation with those ata feate levitOIl,lbut in no case approachingV the upper portion of the vats, so that asconstituting our inventhe loozeV may be transferred from one'to theother, substantially in the manner set forth.

2.Y I/Ve also claim theananne'r of connecting` the lay away vats, with.`the rst series,

asset forth, so 4that the strong'liquor may at pleasure be'conveyed intothem, inthe manner set forth. f Y

Welikewise claim "the'movable reservoir, or vat, for containing thebarks.

WILLIAM L. J. C. ROUSE. 4S'ILAS TAYLOR. f v y Witnesses to the'signature VoflWilliam L. p

J. C. Rouse: v

C. H. W'ILTBERGER, yLANsToN 'IHo'Rrn Witnesses to the signature of SilasTaylor:

SAML. I?. MITCHELL, J ULIA ANN MITCHELL.

